Accountability - The key

Hi everyone, I'm Schalk Reyneke, and I would like to share today about a significant topic, and that is accountability. I think it's a topic that's often misunderstood or just ignored. To have perspective regarding accountability, because there are various aspects relating to it, I think we need to set the scene of the bigger picture and why accountability is necessary and so significant. One of the reasons is that the purpose we have been sent for in this earth is to establish the Kingdom of God.

So there is a bigger picture at play. It is not just about me, myself and I. I've been sent for a reason. God sent Jesus for a reason. Jesus started something, and we are meant to continue and fulfil that in this earth. For that reason we need to understand there is a measurable, expected result. Jesus is coming back for a bride without spot, without blemish, a bride that has come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So there is something that needs to happen, an end result, something we are working towards, and it is significant for us to achieve that.

Part of that means we are not functioning in isolation. I think that is one of the biggest challenges with Christians, when they function in isolation. So if we talk about accountability in the bigger picture, there is accountability towards God – there are clearly verses speaking about that, and I'll share some of that just now. Then we are part of the body of Christ, and within that body there is accountability that's relevant. And then, for me as an individual, there are aspects I'm accountable for towards the people who are very close to me and journeying with me.

As far as God is concerned, it is clear from a variety of scriptures that there is accountability towards Him. Romans 14:12 says that each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. When we stand in front of Him, we will be accountable for a variety of aspects: what have we done with what He has entrusted to us?

So it does matter. The fact that we have received eternal life is not the end – it is the start. Then there is a life meant to be lived on this earth. Part of that, the Great Commission, the instruction from Jesus before He went to heaven, was that we should make disciples. So the question is, are we making disciples? And that means disciples who are making disciples. There is an activation that is part of that process, which then flows into the body of Christ and our accountability within the body.

Within the body we are accountable. We don't function in isolation. The body of Christ is built up through healthy families that become part of a spiritual family, part of an activated body of Christ in this earth achieving what it has been sent for. For me to be accountable within the body of Christ, I need to show up. The Word speaks about a variety of aspects – our offices, our gifts, our callings – and none is more significant than another.

But the fact is, we need to help each other achieve that. The moment we try to function in isolation is a recipe for disaster. So I think one of the misconceptions of accountability is that all of a sudden I have a boss telling me what to do, and there's nothing I can do unless somebody gives me permission. That is not the complete picture as far as accountability is concerned.

Accountability is firstly about you achieving the goal you have been sent for, which relates to the Kingdom of God. Secondly, accountability relates to what Paul speaks a lot about – the goal for us to complete the race. It's not just about starting out and receiving eternal life; there is an expectation for us to continue and to finish the race. Thirdly, accountability is about protecting yourself. We don't feel the same every day. We don't have the same motivation and drive. Our circumstances change, and that could have a variety of implications in our lives, and that is why we need to be accountable.

If we are not accountable, chances are people don't know what's going on in your life, and that means people cannot help you. So that is one of the misconceptions about accountability. It's not about somebody trying to tell you what to do. Accountability, at its core, is about you having a conviction of what you've been sent for, what your priorities are, and what you want to achieve. It's about your convictions, from that place where you've spent time with the Father and been guided through the Word and through the Spirit. You have a conviction of what you need to do, what you want to achieve, and what your priorities are. So it's about your convictions, not somebody else's – but accountability is designed and meant to help you achieve your convictions.

Practically, we typically form a WhatsApp group for every person, and I normally recommend two or three additional people, maximum three, on your accountability group. You would share with those accountability partners what your convictions are, your goals and priorities, even daily routines and disciplines – whatever it is that you want to be held accountable for.

So accountability starts with: what is my conviction, what do I need help with, what do I want to ensure I don't fail on? That must be first and foremost the individual's own conviction, and from that place of conviction we make ourselves accountable and say, "This is what's priority to me, this is what I want to achieve – will you please help me with that?" We practically journey together so that I'm given the best possible chance to achieve those goals, priorities, disciplines and habits, and I make myself accountable to those who journey with me.

So on the one hand there are the goals, aspirations and convictions I want to achieve, and my accountability is there to help me achieve them, because I'm making myself accountable, and when I fail, those close to me will be aware of it. There's a close journeying together – it's a relational foundation. It doesn't help being accountable to somebody halfway around the world who never has any interaction with you on a personal level or within your environment. Your accountability partner should be somebody who functions within your environment, where at least from time to time there's interaction, you get to each other's houses, and you're confronted with the physical environment and challenges, and aware of what's going on in each other's lives.

Even Moses – his arms had to be held up in order for him to achieve what God had sent him to do. I think that is one of the beautiful examples of understanding that it doesn't matter how strong you are, how big your calling or your anointing – it's not about that. It is about whether you can fulfil the purpose God has sent you for. It is about Christ, not about how good I am. It is about whether I achieve what I need to achieve within the body of Christ, and part of that will always be for us to build each other up in love, to remain standing.

So when it comes to accountability, one aspect is my purpose that needs to be fulfilled within the body. The body needs every one of us. There is not one person who is a passenger, not one person who is not needed in the body of Christ. If you don't fulfil the purpose God has sent you for, the whole body pays the price for that.

Ephesians 4 speaks clearly about how we come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ – it is about every part doing its share, and every joint supplying. So there are no passengers, and for us to achieve that ultimate level of fullness in the body of Christ, to come to that place of perfection for Jesus to return, part of the secret, the way God designed it, is that every single person should get to the place they were designed for. Whatever you have been designed for, whatever you have been sent for, the body of Christ needs that. It matters to the body of Christ, and it matters in the Kingdom.

As an individual, you need accountability to fulfil your purpose, and secondly, one of the major reasons you need accountability is for when we do go astray – so that we have a safety net, that the mistake, error or problem that has come up is temporary, that it doesn't affect your salvation in the end, or affect yourself in the long run.

The Bible is actually very clear to distinguish between making a mistake, an error, and living in sin, and the methodology in the Word of God for handling that within the body of Christ is different. When somebody makes a mistake, the Bible says let two or three of the elders, two or three brothers, go to that person, have a discussion, see what is necessary, and journey with them to overcome it.

Anybody can make a mistake, but if that mistake makes you give up on life, give up on your purpose, fall under the pressure of the condemnation Satan brings against you, then you will fall and fail, and there will be a gap in the body of Christ because you are not fulfilling your purpose. So accountability safeguards you – not only to fulfil your purpose, but also for when there's a mistake, a challenge, a moment when you feel despondent or like giving up. You need that accountability, and people you have let into the inner space of your life who can function from a place of trusted relationship, where you are fully transparent and can share what is going on.

If you have made a mistake, it needs to surface. If a mistake or an error is not surfaced, Satan can use that, build on it and strengthen that stronghold of darkness in your life to the extent that it will overcome you. It will burden you, take you into depression, and he will totally sideline you in the body of Christ. So it is critical: the first thing about a mistake, an error, a challenge that has happened in our lives, doesn't matter how we feel about it, is to surface it immediately, to bring it into the light.

When we bring it into the light – the Word says God is light, in Him is no darkness, that God brought forth light out of darkness, and that darkness could not even comprehend light. The superiority, the ability that is within God, the light that He is – when we bring something into that light, it can be revealed, and its power can fall away and be destroyed.

So one of the biggest mistakes we see in the body of Christ is that somebody makes a mistake, feels condemned, withdraws and hides it, and the more they hide it, the more power is given to the darkness and its impact on their lives, to the extent that it incapacitates them, takes them into depression, and they do not fulfil the purpose they need to fulfil in the body of Christ.

I want to very strongly say that accountability is not optional. It is biblical, and it is the only way we will finish the race, the only way we will survive.

“…having done all, to stand.”

Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)

Paul speaks about completing the race. So we need to understand, just for us to get to the place where we complete the race, where we function from that place of having done all, we stand – it doesn't matter what comes against us, we stand. The issue is not about making a mistake, the issue is not about falling. The issue is: will somebody know about it? Will somebody be able to take your arms, lift you up, strengthen you, and say together, "Let's overcome this"? I'm talking about standing on the same side of the table, looking at the challenge on the other side of the table, and addressing it together. I'm not talking about condemnation and judgment. I'm talking about journeying together, and it's equally important for every one of us that we come out of that and overcome.

Making a mistake is not a problem. But if it starts turning into something because it's hidden and kept in darkness, it gains power and can end up in living in sin – and that's a different story. The Bible is very clear: sin leads to death. To continue to live in sin could ultimately cost you your life, physically and spiritually. So we want to avoid somebody who has made a mistake not having the opportunity to be accountable and be helped by those around them, so that it doesn't end up in that place of continuing to live in sin.

So we have looked at how we are accountable as individuals: accountable to those around us for the sake of fulfilling our purpose, and at the same time accountable because we need people to hook in on our side, to ensure we do not fall by the wayside or continue to live in sin.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

We require each other. It's not possible for us to function in isolation and fulfil our purpose or remain standing in the body of Christ.

“Two are better than one. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NKJV)

So if you fall, the issue is not the fall – the issue is, will you stand up? Where are the people who will know when you make a mistake, when you fall, when you lose hope, when your challenges are busy overcoming you? They need to know. Iron sharpens iron; we need each other to shape us and to remain standing. Even when we have a conviction that God has given us a word or sent us somewhere, we use accountability to ensure we haven't heard wrong, or gotten the timing wrong, or that our fleshly desires aren't interfering and twisting the instruction into something it was never meant to be.

So practically, even if you have a conviction that God has given you a word or an instruction, I would recommend you put that on your accountability group and say, "This is what I experience God has said to me, or what He has sent me for, or a decision I need to make," and then you become accountable. On the accountability group, if you use a WhatsApp group, we have a practical way of using it: you share something on the group – it's not a dumping ground. You don't come and just dump something there. You come and share what you experience, your conviction. I'm not saying there aren't things you might not have certainty about – that's not what I'm saying. The core is that I accept responsibility for what I put on the accountability group; I don't just dump something there and make it somebody else's responsibility.

So I come, I share on the accountability group, I say, "This is what I experience the Lord has said to me," or a decision I need to make, and then we all pray together, or share how we are guided by the Spirit, and we use colours: green means I definitely have a green light from my side, I stand in agreement with you, I agree with what you are experiencing. A red light means there's something about this that isn't sitting well with me, or that I don't have a conviction about. An orange light means, look, I'm not experiencing anything at this stage, so I'm not going to say something if I don't experience anything. Orange light typically means, if I'm on somebody's accountability group and I experience an orange light, I would say, "You go with the conviction you have," or maybe some of the other people on the group will share a green or a red light.

If it's a red light, it just means sometimes the timing is not right; we need to pray more about it, or even fast about it, and make sure of what there isn't consistency about. The idea with an accountability group, like within the body of Christ, is not a majority thing. It's not that there are three people and two have a green light and one has a red light and we say, "Well, the majority rules." It's not like that. We need to come into agreement. There needs to be unity, there needs to be oneness, and we need to understand why there is a red light. Let's continue to pray, get certainty, have interaction, come physically together – whatever it takes.

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

James 5:16 (NKJV)

There's a reason for that. When we confess our sins to each other, it's not a thing of sitting in a confession box. It's about bringing it into the light and saying, "This was a mistake, and I have a conviction, an intention not to get into that again – let me share it with you." It's brought into the light, its power is taken away, and then we pray together.

“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available.”

James 5:16 (AMPC)

Within that, we strengthen one another, we overcome, and we ensure it's not an issue going forward.

Then I think one of the other aspects relating to accountability is about where your spiritual family is. We were not designed to function in isolation, do our own thing, and not be accountable within a spiritual family. That is a critical component, because the Word describes clearly how the body of Christ functions, and within that body there's a way it was designed. It's a spiritual family, doing life together, and within that spiritual family there are people who are spiritually mature, functioning as elders, as spiritual fathers, as leaders.

It is important that all of us, as a spiritual family, as a faith community, tie in and are accountable, because that spiritual family needs to know about my well-being and be there to support, help and sustain me whenever it's needed. And I need to bring something to that spiritual family as well. So one of the accountability aspects for me, speaking about the body of Christ, will always revolve around this question: Where is your spiritual family?

Where is your faith community, where you tie in and where you are accountable? The quickest way for somebody to go astray, to miss the target, to be pacified, is not being part of a spiritual family that knows about their well-being and their life. I think one of the downsides of a free, Westernised lifestyle is that we have come to the place where we say, "Nobody will tell me what to do, and I will do my own thing in my own way."

We will come to a fall if that is our mentality and our strategy, because we were meant to be part of a spiritual family that can, on the one hand, support us and take care of us, and on the other hand, when necessary, step in and say, "This is wrong, this is a problem, let's help you overcome it." I'm not talking judgment. I'm talking help. I'm talking guidance. One of Satan's biggest successes is to turn and twist the truth just slightly off target.

If you change direction and walk in a certain way, and you are three degrees off target and you walk two kilometres, then you are a hundred metres off target. That's just an example of how small blind spots in our life can have an exponentially major impact, causing us to miss the truth. That is one of the major aspects of accountability. We all have blind spots. You don't know what you don't know.

If you don't have accountability in your life – I like to refer to it as blind spot mirrors – you need mirrors in your life. You need friends who really care, people who love you, who have a vested interest in you succeeding and having success in the body of Christ and in what God has sent you for. Those mirrors need to show you the areas you are not seeing, and you need an open enough relationship with them that you would be willing to accept it when somebody comes to you and says, "Look, this is a problem.

It looks like you are not aware of it, but this is a problem in your life, and let me help you overcome that." So it is critical for us to have accountability, to have those mirrors, to ensure we actually see our blind spots, and then our attitude matters in wanting to address that and accept the help and make ourselves accountable. That is why accountability extends to our spiritual family. You need somebody to whom you are accountable. We have seen it so many times over many years within the body of Christ.

We have seen that the people who come and cause destruction and breakdown are the ones who are not accountable anywhere. We refer to them as lone rangers, and I want to warn you of lone rangers. Whenever somebody wants to spiritually journey with you, speak into your life, come to an event you're hosting, have a word on the stage, whatever it may be, the first question should be: Where are you accountable? And it should cover both aspects: your spiritual family, where you are accountable – are they aware of you?

Who are you reporting to, if I can put it that way? And then, individually, where is your accountability group? Who are they, and are you actively accountable to them? Not just having a WhatsApp group that hasn't been used in the last year. I'm talking about a group that is actively used, where important matters are shared.

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.”

Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV)

So the Bible is clear: there is a relationship within the body, a spiritual leadership role, an accountability role. There are roles of spiritual fathers, as Paul was writing – he wrote to the fathers, to the young men, and to the children, referring to those who have become spiritually mature having a mentorship role and responsibility toward those who are not yet mature. So there is a role to play. I'm not referring to the verse that says, "Call no man father."

You need to see that verse in context, where it is about an individual becoming an authority that you are accountable to and that tells you what to do – that is not how it's meant to be. Your Father is our heavenly Father, God Almighty. That is your Father. But there are people on earth who have been positioned to journey with you and play a role in your spiritual mentorship, your accountability, bringing you to maturity and raising you up. Paul had Timothy and others whom he called his sons, whom he mentored.

Whether you refer to it as mentorship, discipleship, or having a spiritual father – whatever you want to call it – the principle is what matters. We are accountable to leadership. We are accountable to those around us within the body of Christ. 1 Peter 5:1-3 speaks of elders shepherding the flock and being an example. So it is not unconditional, blind following; the Bible is clear about the requirements for those who function as elders, and one of those is to look at their family, look at the results, look at their children's lives.

Those results, in those referred to as elders, reflect their intimacy and relationship with God. I think it's important to understand that spiritual leadership is not about a title, a role, or wearing a tie. It is about spiritual maturity, which flows from intimacy with the Father. It speaks of intimacy with the Father and spiritual maturity to overcome daily obstacles in the way they live and function. It needs to be a practical example. Somebody who is an elder, who is spiritually mature, who is a spiritual father or mentor, needs to practically live a life that reflects that, as opposed to just having the name or the title.

That is not the intention. I think one of the other aspects of accountability is that when we come into Christ, we have died to ourselves. It's easy for us to recite the verses and say, "It's no longer I that live, but the life I live now, I live by the faith of the Son of God." It's easy to say, "I've died to myself, it is Christ who is living," but my life needs to reflect that as well. That means there is a stewardship. It entails, it encompasses, it includes everything in my life, not just certain aspects.

It's not two hours on a Sunday; it is my whole life. We journey together. We do life together. We are accountable to each other in every dimension of it. That includes whatever I've been entrusted with as a steward, and that includes finances – whatever God has entrusted to you. What are you doing with that, and are you accountable as far as that is concerned? If we say, "No, no, no, this is mine, leave this, that's the territory I allow you into as spiritual leadership or accountability.

This aspect is mine, it's got nothing to do with you, I've worked hard for what I have, it has nothing to do with you" – then I haven't died to myself. Again, I'm not talking about somebody telling you what to do. I am talking about listening to the Father's voice, getting a conviction, going to hear. And once you have that conviction – this is what the Father says – let's say it relates to your finances, and God is giving you instruction on what you need to do and how you need to apply it within the body of Christ. If you have that conviction, you need to go and hear.

You can't ignore it and then say, "Ah, but I don't hear anything." You need to go and hear, spend time with the Father, receive that guidance, and then, once you have that conviction, as with anything else in that accountability group, you share your conviction, make yourself accountable, and others will help you ensure that you fulfil the desire in your heart.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

Luke 16:10 (NKJV)

So there is a trusted relationship, and you want people around you to journey with you regarding what you've been entrusted with and what you have heard the Lord tell you to do with it.

But being entrusted is not just with finances and physical aspects.

“We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 (NKJV)

We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. So if I have just received eternal life, that is not the end – that is the beginning. There is a life that needs to be lived. Christ was sent for a reason. We have been sent for a reason. Once we receive that life of Christ inside of us, Jesus said the same glory the Father gave Him, He has given us, so that the world may know.

So how will the world know? Does the world know, based on your life, that Jesus has died and was resurrected? Does the world know that you have been filled with the glory of God? Does the world know that you live love, that you manifest His presence, His Word, His Spirit? If the world doesn't know, something has gone missing in terms of what we have been purposed with. We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, which means we need to lead people to Christ. We need to make disciples.

We need to equip. There is time and effort that goes into that. We need to show up, raise our hands and say, "Here I am, Father, send me." Then you go and make yourself accountable, and then you go and serve. I've spoken about this many times, and there are teachings on the Eleutheros app as well. The people who grow the quickest spiritually are those who come and serve. So if you're not currently serving in your spiritual family, in your environment, go and make yourself accountable. You will see the impact that has on your spiritual growth.

So let me summarise as far as accountability is concerned. You need accountability to fulfil your purpose on the one hand, and on the other hand, to make sure that you remain standing if you do make a mistake, if you do fall, if you lose track and direction and become despondent – somebody needs to know so that they may help you. Not condemn you, not judge you, but raise you up, keep your arms up, lift you up, strengthen you. The Bible says that when you fall, if there are three of you, then two can help you up.

Whereas if you are on your own and you fall, how will you get up? So you need people to make sure you remain standing, that you complete the race, and that you don't fall from a mistake into living in sin and giving up. Both sides matter: accountability is critical for fulfilling your purpose and for remaining standing. In the body of Christ, we need to be accountable within a spiritual family, so that there are rules that function in the body of Christ. There is prescription that the Bible gives.

If somebody is making an error, making a mistake, there need to be people able to journey with them, speak to them, help them, and, if they are willing to be helped, journey with them to prevent them falling into a life of sin. Ultimately, we are accountable to God. We will stand before Him and need to give an account of what we have done.

So I want to encourage you: get your accountability group in place as soon as possible. Get two or three people you journey with spiritually, who are spiritually mature. Make yourself accountable, and allow them to speak into your life. And then, if you are in that accountability group, and everybody prays about it and agrees that something should change in your life, or something you shouldn't do, then the important thing is that you listen to that. Listen to it as if it is God speaking to you. You cannot have an accountability group you trust and are convicted must speak into your life, and then, when they guide you in a certain direction, just ignore it and go and do your own thing. I have seen so many people make that mistake and fall into that trap.

They make big mistakes in their life, and afterwards they come back, and you need to help them pick up the pieces. One will do that, but it's not necessary. Listen to those God has placed in your life. As the Word says, there are elders, spiritually mature mentors, spiritual fathers who have been put in place for you to journey with, and they need to give account. So make it easy for them. Help them participate. Make yourself available, so that we can achieve the one goal we have been sent for: to glorify our Father, to worship our Father, to establish His kingdom in this earth.

There is a bigger picture at play, and we need to truly live from that place where we have died to ourselves, and we are accountable to one another, to make sure we remain standing and fulfil our purpose. Have a blessed day. If there's anything we can help with, please let us know.